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Talk:Better Man/@comment-13968809-20140130224317/@comment-3575890-20140131021018
Repost because I'm lazy: I will admit when I first learned Maya would be getting a new love interest, I dismissed the idea without a thought because (though I was secretly thankful it meant at the very least deterring a certain NOTP of mine) I was completely hellbent against shipping Maya with anyone other than Cam. My Camaya heart is even now still very much healing. But Matlingsworth surprisingly got me from the get-go and I think it's because, aside from that they are fucking adorable and have impeccable chemistry, they are a world and several galaxies apart from Camaya. If Matlingsworth had been modelled after Camaya, mark my words, I would have been so hurt and pissed because let's face it; you cannot EVER replace Camaya. They are a one-of-kind ship and it needs to remain that way. They cannot be recreated. But THANKFULLY the writers have the right idea with Matlingsworth. Though the parallels are obvious and there are some distinct similarities between Cam and Miles, the overall vibe and dynamic is heaps different, and that's why it works well for me! Camaya was such a beautifully chaste and innocent ship. There was very little of a suggestive or sexual nature. Campbell regarded Maya as something to be cherished and treated delicately. His feelings were innocent and his sentiments were pure. It was all almost childlike in its innocence, yet also ran painstakingly deep. It was all emotion-based and minimally physical and perfectly age appropriate in that they were just inexperienced fetuses. But now Maya is not such a fetus anymore. While she is still very young, harsh realities have since then emerged and forced her to grow up well beyond her time and this opens new areas to be explored in her passage into adolescence, which Miles fits well into. Whereas Camaya was all about the sweaty palms and awkward innocence of first love, Matlingsworth is all about the sexual tension and transition from innocence to adolescence and the messy process of hormonal awakening. Clearly, some new territory has been unearthed here in respect to Maya's ongoing metamorphosis into a young adult. And in contrast to Campbell's innocent feelings, Miles' while sincere all the same, come from a clearly more primal place within himself. He cares a great deal for Maya, but it's also quite obvious that he's thinking with his heart AND his libido when it comes to her. He doesn't just want to hold her hand and kiss her chastely like Campbell was content with doing. The train of thoughts that run in his head, as opposed to Campbell's where Maya is concerned, are much more typical of a teenage boy and I appreciate how that distinction further deviates their dynamic from Camaya's. These stark contrasts between Matlingsworth and Camaya makes it so much easier to just throw myself into this ship with total abandon without having to feel hung up on Camaya because of some similarity or such, even if I am still broken up about Camaya. But yeah. The fact that the UST meter is through the roof is one factor that especially draws me to this ship, because I have yet to have seen a relationship of Maya's that is so fraught with fucking sexual tension and longing. it's one of those ships in where you just can't help but think, "good god, bang it out already!" You simply cannot deny that chemistry. And it's not all just attraction-based. There is a great deal of affection and genuine feelings already being developed there that have the potential to become something very special in its own right. There is a wide spectrum of emotions there including anger, resentment, frustration, confusion, uncertainty, and quite a bit of lust there too, which is not particularly a bad thing at all as it is a healthy part of any romantic relationship and typically goes hand-in-hand with like and love. Miles brings out the Matlin Fire in Maya like no one else. There are spurts where she transforms from this awkward, shy little thing into this fierce, empowered little queen. She doesn't take his shit at all. It's funny how he can't get away with anything without her calling him out on his bullshit and even funnier that it has actual effect. The degree of power she already holds over him is noteworthy. She has him wrapped right around her little pinky finger in that not only does she effortlessly bring the sweet out of him without needing to do anything at all, but he can't stand her rejecting him or her thinking less of him. It gets to him. And honestly that influence she has can only be a positive thing. Miles needs a dose of tough love in his life. He is best suited for someone who doesn't stand for his shit and enable him to self-destruct like his negligent father and good-intentioned, but nonetheless spineless best friend. Basically, the boy needs a good kick in the pants once in a while and we've seen countless times that Maya has no problem with doing the honors. Finally, they are both are in a fragile emotional state and though that could easily be a recipe for disaster, it could also be the most beneficial thing to their respectable healing processes. They can open up to and identify with each other. While there is no way either one of them can work a miracle for the other, they have the ability to fulfill each other’s primary needs. Maya needs a clean slate and fresh start and Miles just needs a little acceptance and understanding.